L8 Cab Gor: FREGUESIA DE CABEÇA GORDA (PT)

FUNCTIONS APPLIED TO THE LAND

 ECONOMIC

 Aromatics

Herbs and aromatics (Rosmary, lavander, asparagus, fennel) will be interplanted with other vegetation in most functions, with focus on the orchard in the agroforestry system. Products will be used for village kitchen and/or sold in local market.

Annuals and seeds

Seed mix (Avena sativa Avena strigosa, Triticosecale Wittmack, Lolium multiflorum, Lolium multiflorum var. westerwoldicum, Vicia sativa and Pisum sativum) was sown through out functions, wherever bare soil is found.

Orchards in agroforestry system (interplanted with forest species, nitrogen fixing perennials and aromatics, with different strata combined). Evergreen species of different strata used has windbreak. See function 24 Food garden for self-sufficiency.

 Nuts 

 Mushrooms

This function focus on best practices for managing the land in order to potentiate the presence of commercially viable mushrooms (no-till, soil cover, reforestation, etc). Every year the Silarca Mushroom Festival takes place in Cabeça Gorda (SILARCA Festival do Cogumelo).

 Natural fibers

Cork oak interplanted in the areas dedicated to restoration of native forest is used for the production of natural fibers.

As part of other functions, i.e. food garden and erosion control areas.

 Timber, firewood and biomass

This is a coppice system of eucalyptus for the production of timber firewood and biomass. Areas with the highest natural regeneration of Quercus sp were selected for thinning Eucalyptus.

 Pasture improvement

Pasture improvement is carried out throughout other functions using a mix of grasses and legumes.

 ECOSERVICES

 Bee keeping rights

 [22]

 Food garden for self-sufficiency

Fruits (i.e. Japanese and European plum, apricot, peach, pear) vegetables (selected year-by-year depending on market), berries (i.e. raspberry, red currant, blueberries) and aromatics (i.e. rosemary, thyme, sage) are planted as a food forest-like system. Interplanting is used to make the most use of the space. The idea is to produce everything is needed to village kitchen to become self-supporting, starting a circular economy.

Some trails are already present, they will be only repaired and the trail marks added.

 Test Area

In this area several growing aids were tested: cocoons, stones, wood chips and compost.

 ENVIRONMENTAL  

 Erosion control

Swales were made to improve water infiltration and avoids soil erosion.

Bare soil was firstly cover with seeds mix. 

Reforestation focus on the use of multiple species for multiple purposes (nuts, wild berries/fruits, shade, protection, nitrogen fixing, food and shelter for disperser animal species, seed pool, genetic diversity).

Tree varieties better adaptive to drought and climate change were selected. Retama sphaerocarpa was used as nurse shrubs.

 Insect shelter

 [40]

“Natural forest” areas focus on the identification and protection (when feasible) of natural regeneration. Selective cleaning with shrub cutter was done.

The afforestation areas focus on the reforestation with multiple species for multiple purposes (nuts, wild berries/fruits, shade, protection, nitrogen fixing, food and shelter for disperser animal species, seed pool, genetic diversity).

 Streambed protection

Shrubs (common hawthorn, myrtle, mock privet) and trees (arbutus, common ash, elder) are placed around stream where this is not covered with vegetation and shadow. Biodiversity promoting species were selected.

 Ecological Corridor

 Biodiversity promoting plants

 SOCIAL 

 [47]

Several implemented functions will require hiring, namely a full-time employee and several seasonal employees according to the needs.

No specific action will be put in place. it's a park, it happens to work with disable people.

 Provide social services

Oak acorns used for reforestation.

Transplantation of small trees, using dead and live eucalyptus trunks to build stork nests and poles, chipping other  woody vegetation to improve organic matter.

Mycorrhizae used to produce edible mushrooms  to use in social kitchen and sold during the Silarca Mushroom Festival.

Swales were made to improve water infiltrationa and reduce soil erosion.

Common practice. Half-moons were done on slops and "full moons" in the flatter areas.

Done only when necessary in conjunction with ridge and furrows.

Existing ponds are implemented in order to increase the amount of available water for wildlife throughout the year and increase their quality. 

Compost is added.

Improving pasture resilience by introducing additional species (legumes).

They were used in mix with grasses to cover soil and improve pastures.

Retama sphaerocarpa is used as nurse shrubs.

Selective digging of holes to avoid large-scale soil disturbance.

Such techniques is used to make the most use of the space.

Used to implement biodiversity at all levels.

Multi-purpose natural fence to protect crops and provide food, fodder and shelter for biodiversity.

The cocoons method was tested but did not produce optimal results on this kind of soil (thin, clayey and rich in rock fragments).

Introducing drip irrigation/watering to save water.

Tubex protectors are used.

Cocoons, compost, straw mulch and stone mulch. 

Wildlife feeding places, food garden and ponds are fenced.

Re-planting is foreseen using local seeds.

Only cutting or grazing, no chemicals and weeding.

Developing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM), to carry out insect & plague control on eco-friendly way. Providing shelter/host plants for predator insects.

Using pruning in an optimal way. Stacking the prunings in rows to collect water and improve biodiversity

The implementing of existing trails will bring further  values and incomes.

When available will be used.

0% of the dead wood is always left on the site

Planting special aquatic filtering plants

Some fruit species like apples and pears can be damaged by too much sun. Planting shadow trees in between the fruits.

No machine or soil work around each tree.

Numbers of functions and measures correspond to the list reported in the DAM methodology, defining the operative DAM plan

http://www.desert-adapt.it/index.php/en/case-studies/dam-methodology   

Testing plant growth aid techniques to support seedlings establishment and growth

[Adaptation Measures: plant support & water aid 26 -  plant protectors 28 - plant assist 29]

In municipality of CABEÇA GORDA water aids to improve the seedling survival rates in the first years after planting under harsh environmental conditions, were tested. Specifically, cocoons were installed (Pict. 1-2) and tested but did not produce optimal results due to the physical features of such soils (thin, clayey and rich in rock fragments).

A low cost nature-based solutions relying on material present in the study area like rock (Pict. 3-4) was used to improve the soil water retention. Other seedlings were traditionally planted by adding compost in the hole planting to improve organic carbon content and water retention too (Pict. 5-9). 

Pasture improvement

[Economic function: 20]

Pasture improvement is carried out in all project plots using a mix of grasses and legumes to increase soil organic carbon content, reduce soil erosion by keeping the soil surface covered and providing food for pollinators. Picture 1 and 2 show two sequential stages of pasture growth.

Erosion control

[Environmental function: 37]

Swales were made in areas at high erosion risk to reduce surface runoff and soil loss.